1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of fiber manufacture. More particularly, the invention relates to the manufacture of fiber by a rotary process. In still greater particularity, the invention relates to a rotary fiberization process in which a gas or a liquid may be directed toward the manufactured fiber. By way of further characterization, but not by way of limitation thereto, the invention includes a means for directing air and binder into the center of the cone produced by the rotary fiberization process in order to reshape the fiber pattern.
2. Description of the Related Art
In existing rotary fiber glass processes, the glass fibers are formed from a rotating disc and attenuated in proximity to that rotating disc. An air ring outside the circumference of the rotating disc is used to direct the fibers downwardly and to assist in attenuating those fibers. This air and fiber movement creates a negative pressure zone below the rotating disc. The negative pressure zone, combined with a binder spray system which is sprayed from outside the column with an inward radial spray pattern tends to configure the column of fiber into a conical shape. Concerns with roping and/or handing of the fiber may thus be aggravated. This leads to degradation of density and binder distribution in the resulting fiber blanket which may cause less than desirable physical and thermal performance characteristics.
Referring to FIG. 1, a spinner 11 is shown suspended by an existing support and bearing assembly 16. A stream of molten glass 21 is dropped onto the rotating spinner 11 and the molten glass is extruded from holes 17 in the circumference of the rotating spinner. Streams of air from an air ring 12 around the circumference of the rotating spinner direct the fiber downwardly and assist in attenuating the fiber. Binder nozzles 15 are located around the circumference of the spinner such that binder may be sprayed onto the fibers as they are directed downwardly onto a conventional chain collection system 18. Such a rotary fiberization process is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,386 incorporated herein by reference.
The rotating spinner assembly along with the air jets may be oscillated back and forth across the width of the collection chain system as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,997,307 incorporated by reference herein. The oscillation and the rotating fiber pattern may result in the somewhat uneven distribution of the fibers onto the collection chain. In addition, the fibers tend to be randomly oriented on the fiber chain collection system. A suction system 19 is used beneath the chain system to improve the distribution of the fibers on the chain system by removing air which is added to the fiber column by the air nozzles. This suction also prevents fibers from being blown into the air surrounding the collection system.